Amos bank



A.RANK. PLATFORMBR IDGE FOR RAILROAD CARS.

or-77,321. Patented Apr. 28, 1868.

AMOS BANK, OF SALEM, OHIO.

Letters Patent No. 77,821, dated April 28, 1868.

IMPROVED PLATFORE-BRIDGE FOR RAILROAD-CABS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be itknown that I, Amos RANK, of Salem, in the county of Columbiana, andState of Ohio, have invented a new and improved Foot-Bridge for thePlatforms of Railroad-Cars; and I do hcrebydeclare that the following isa full, clear, and exactdescription thereofgreference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a vertical section of the platforms of two cars coupledtogether, having the improved bridge applied to them. 1 I

Figure 2 is a top view of the bridge applied to the platforms of twocars.

Figure 3 is' a. perspective view of the improved bridge.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the threefigures.

This invention relates to a new and improved construction ofbridgeplates, which. are designed to afford a. -fcotwaybetwen theplatforms of railway-cars, for the safety ofpersons passing andrepassing from one car to another; v

The invention not only provides a substantial inflexible bridge bctweenfreight and passenger-cars coupled together, but it also provides forremoving and replacing such abridge at pleasure, and for allowing it -tocon form to" the lateral and longitudinal motions of the cars. A I

The nature of my inventionconsists in constructing a bridge-plate whichis adapted to serve as a footway between railroad-cars that are coupledtogether, with hooked recesses in its sides; of such shape and size aswill allow the plates to be safely attached, without other 'fastcnings,to the upright standards of the hand-rails on each side of thepassage-way between cars, said recesses being so made as to allow thecars to have their natural lateral and longitudinal motions when underway, as will be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I willdescribe its construction and operation,

- In the accompanying.drawings, A A're'pres'ent the platforms of twocars or-coachcs, provided with handrails d a, which are applied uponstandards 6 b, and arranged in the usual well-known manner common torailroad cars or coaches generally. o

B represents a bridge, which forms a footway between the two platforms AA, and which is so constructed as to adapt it'to' receivevthe fourvertical standards 6, to which the hand-rails arc applied, and thusenable these standards to serve in part as the fastcnings for attachingthe bridge to the platforms. 7

This bridge B may be constructed of: cast metal of one piece, or it maybe made of wronght metnl bars properlyweldcd or riveted together. Inorder to secure lightness, the bridge may be-Inadc in the form ofan opengrating, of strap iron, united to a frame of proper shape, or it mayeven be made of wood.

In each longitudinal edge of the bridge, recesses 0 euro made; whichleave double hooks for embracing the standards 6 bon b'oth platfo rms,and preventing longitudinal as well as lateral displacement of thebridge when applied betweentbe saidstanddrds, as shown in fig. 2. Saidrecesses are made of such length as will allow the longitudinal motionof the cars incid cnt' to the stopping and starting of a train, withoutcrowding the bridge between said standards. 1

The length of the bridge B should be such that, when applied in place,-its ends will extend ovcr'thc ends of the platforms A A suitabledistances to afford safe bearings thereon for it.

It will be seen, by reference to fig. 2, that the bridge 3', asconstructed, can neither work out ofplace laterally nor longitudinally;that it does not in any manner restrain the natural movements of thecars to whioh it is attached, as the recesses c, in the sides.of thisbridge, are-of such length and shape as will prevent any accidentaldisplacement of or injury to thebridge or the parts to which it isconnected. It will also be seen that while this bridge cannot be movedout of position horizontally, it can be readily removed fromtheplatforms and detached from the standards I) b by lifting it as highas the hand-railsa a. In this way the bridge can be readily applied toand removed from the platforms of cars at pleasure ,'no other fasteningsbeing required than those afl'onled by the reeesses c c and thestandards of the hand-rails. If the recesses e e are made longcnough,'the bridge can be detached by lifting one end or side.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

A bridge or footing, B, constructedwvith recesses 0 0, or theirequivalent, in ite side edges, end adapt-ed to be applied betweenrailway-cars which are conpledtogether, substantially :is described.

' 4 AMOS RANK.

Witnesses:

Tnos. S. BAIRD, J. H. Cox, 0. W. CADWALLADEB-

